The new report from the Government Accountability Office looked at how the DEA manages the amount of pain medication in the marketplace and how it makes sure there's enough medication for the sick but not for those trying to abuse pills.

During Wednesday’s special Senate hearing, WESH 2 heard that investigating the DEA was not easy. It took more than a year to gather information on how the DEA regulates quotas for pain pills.

Sen. Chuck Grassley said the DEA refused to comply with GAO's request for information and that he had to personally get involved in the process.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse questioned them on why it took so long.

“Whether you just didn’t want to be reviewed by GAO because you didn’t know what the report would say, or perhaps did know what the report would say,” Whitehouse said.

Patients often hear from their pharmacist that there's a shortage of prescription medications. But why does that happen?

Many link it back to quotas, but there's a large difference between the quotas wholesalers use to supply pharmacists and the ones set by the DEA.

“We have no oversight of what the industry does once we set the quota,” said Joseph Rannazzisi, deputy assistant administrator of drug diversion with the DEA.

The DEA lays out to manufacturers how much of a drug can be made. From there, the number of pills sent to a pharmacy is the responsibility on the wholesaler or supplier.

“If there’s a shortage, we can go back and look, and if that shortage is based on a number, we can go back and help them. But the manufacturer has to request for an increase in that quota,” Rannazzisi said.

Both DEA and FDA records show there hasn't been a shortage of any medications since 2011.

That didn't stop a scathing review of the DEA's performance in managing the drug quota process.

The report said the agency had no performance measures in place and no goals for its employees.

“I’m at the point where it’s starting to look like the DEA cannot manage administrative and regulatory responsibilities,” Whitehouse said.